The present invention relates to the field of electronic faucets, and in particular to an electrically insulating mounting bracket for electronic kitchen faucets, such as those that include capacitive sensing technologies for automated use.
Automatic or electronic faucets, such as those including capacitive control or sensing features, are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in residential households. Such faucets tend to be at least partially formed of metal or other electrically conductive material. Capacitive sensing faucets may be mounted to a mounting deck, such as a kitchen sink, that may be made of metal, such as stainless steel, for example. In such instances, an electrically non-conductive mounting assembly may be used to insulate the metal capacitive sensing components of the faucet from the metal sink.
While electrically insulating faucet mounting assemblies are known in the prior art, they have typically consisted of multiple interconnected components that increase the complexity of manufacturing and installation. For example, forgetting a component during installation of conventional mounting assemblies to the sink deck may result in reduced capacitive performance of the faucet when secured to the sink deck. As such, an improved mounting assembly is desirable.
The present disclosure provides an electrically non-conductive mounting assembly for coupling an electronic faucet, illustratively a capacitive sensing faucet, to an electrically conductive sink deck. In an illustrative embodiment, the mounting assembly includes a spout insulator configured to attach to a delivery spout and which has a top shank aperture for receipt of a metal spout shank extending from the delivery spout. The mounting assembly also illustratively includes a mounting bracket configured to attach to an underside of the sink deck below a sink deck aperture configured to receive the metal spout shank of the delivery spout. The metal spout shank extends through the top shank aperture of the spout insulator, through the sink deck aperture, and through a bottom shank aperture of the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket illustratively includes a boss defining the bottom shank aperture, wherein the boss includes a projecting lip that is sufficient in height to extend into the sink deck aperture and project above a bottom surface of the sink deck when the mounting bracket and the spout insulator are attached to the sink deck. In certain illustrative embodiments, the boss of the mounting bracket is radially spaced intermediate internal walls of the spout insulator and the metal spout shank. The boss of the mounting bracket provides radial spacing, and thereby electrical isolation, between the metal spout shank and the sink deck.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a mounting assembly is provided for coupling an electronic faucet to a sink deck having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a wall defining a sink deck aperture extending between the top surface and the bottom surface of the sink deck. The mounting assembly includes a delivery spout, and a spout insulator having a top surface, a bottom surface, and internal walls defining a top shank aperture. The top surface of the spout insulator is configured to attach to the delivery spout, the bottom surface of the spout insulator is configured to abut the sink deck, and the top shank aperture of the spout insulator is configured to be disposed over the sink deck aperture. The mounting bracket is configured to attach to the bottom surface of the sink deck below the sink deck aperture, the mounting bracket including a boss defining a bottom shank aperture. The boss includes a projecting lip sufficient in height to extend into the sink deck aperture and project above the bottom surface of the sink deck when the mounting bracket is attached to the bottom surface of the sink deck. The mounting bracket is formed of an electrically non-conductive material. A metal shank is connected to the delivery spout and extends through the top shank aperture of the spout insulator, the sink deck aperture, and the bottom shank aperture of the mounting bracket, whereby when the mounting bracket is attached to the bottom surface of the sink deck, the shank is spaced from the sink deck.
According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a mounting assembly is provided for use with an electronic faucet to attach the faucet to a sink deck having a bottom surface and a sink deck aperture, the mounting assembly including an electrically non-conductive mounting bracket configured to attach to the underside of the sink deck. The mounting bracket includes a boss defining a bottom shank aperture. The boss includes a projecting lip, and the projecting lip is sufficient in height to extend into the sink deck aperture and project above a bottom surface of the sink deck when the mounting bracket is attached to the bottom surface of the sink deck. An electrically conductive shank extends downwardly from above the sink deck, through the sink deck aperture and the bottom shank aperture of the mounting bracket.
According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for attaching a mounting assembly to a sink deck includes the steps of attaching a delivery spout including a metal shank to a spout insulator having a top shank aperture, extending the shank through the top shank aperture of the spout insulator, disposing the spout insulator over a sink deck aperture, disposing a mounting bracket under the sink deck aperture such that a projecting lip of a boss of the mounting bracket extends into the sink deck aperture and is spaced from the spout insulator, extending the shank through the boss of the mounting bracket, and fastening the mounting bracket and the spout insulator to the sink deck, whereby the shank is spaced from the sink deck.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.